Simplify and miniaturise: 2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX

The first time you face-up to the 2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX five-door, you can’t help but think it’s finally outgrown the existing three-door’s niche off-roader tag. It’s predecessors are still much-loved by enthusiasts, and endowed with off-road capability beyond their wildest dreams. However, the 2024 Suzuki 1.5 GLX five-door, thanks to some critical reengineering, is now easy to drive and practical in an everyday sense, too.

2024 SUZUKI JIMNY 1.5 GLX FIVE-DOOR

Size is relative. You can’t really tell how compact the new five-door Jimny is. And that’s part of its unique charm. Image: Ray Leathern

In the last decade or so, Suzuki Auto South Africa has been on an unprecedented run. Through the procurement, sale and service of compact, affordable and reliable vehicles, it has swept aside all competitors in the compact passenger-car market. From young adults in their first paying job buying a first car, to retirees looking to downsize to a compact runaround, amazingly, the Suzuki range satisfies all.

Then there’s the new 2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX five-door, which acts as a sort-of halo car for the brand. Now with an extended wheelbase of 340 mm that allows for two more doors and 211 litres additional utility space (up to 830 litres total), it’s clearly no longer a nice-to-have, niche set of wheels. The new Suzi is one of those rare creations, like a simplified and miniaturised Land Cruiser, Jeep or G-wagon, that’s built for purpose but manages to do so much more than even its makers intended.

SIMPLIFY AND MINIATURISE

A neat styling addition is the small window between rear door and c-pillar. Looks more like a mini G-wagon than ever before. Image: Ray Leathern

Purpose-driven vehicles like the Jimny have a wonderful knack of being more than the sum of their parts. It’s a capable off-roader, a perfectly comfortable daily runaround. And, all told, it brings to light the very best of Japan’s culture of miniaturisation and simplification. However, besides the extended ladder-frame chassis, the new Jimny five-door also benefits from a subtle cosmetic overhaul.

The 2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX five-door has a sharper exterior presence and more comfort and style on the inside. In longer guise, the cute Kei-car look is minimised. Instead, there’s a chromed grille that definitely garners a lot of attention from other Jimny owners especially (they’re always waving!). 15-inch dark-coloured alloys wrapped in chunky 195/80 Bridgestone Dueller rubber give it a stauncher stance on the road.

WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT

Nice off-road touches like the passenger grab handles. The rest is typically sturdy Japanese built quality. Image: Suzuki Auto South Africa

However, besides the aforementioned changes, Suzuki knows all too well you mustn’t mess with a formula that works. Therefore, there are plenty of familiar touches to the new five-door. Like the exposed full-sized spare wheel on the side-hinged rear door. Likewise, the mechanical bits that make it move are the same simple and efficient setup as before.

A relatively meagre sounding 75 kW and 130 Nm from its 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine is anything but. Sure, the engine is little buzzy at motorway speeds. At 120 km/h for instance, because of the five-speed manual gearbox, the engine is spinning beyond 3 000 r/min. So, highways are not its forte, but the 2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX five-door is far more versatile than that.

OFF-ROAD LEGEND

Just some of the typical off-road scenes the new 2024 Suzuki Jimny five-door will enjoy. Image: Suzuki Auto South Africa

It’s an off-roader first and foremost. And the eager, naturally aspirated engine excels when things get tough. From thick sand, to steep hills, heavy mud and challenging rock crawls, you will overcome it all. That second gear knob is for the low-range transfer case, which alters gearing so you get the absolute last Nm of torque from the engine in tricky off-road conditions. Suzuki’s latest AllGrip Pro is an on-the-fly system with the 2High, 4High and 4Low.

Even though the five-door is 100 kg heavier than the three-door, the Jimny still feels relatively light weight. And it boasts superb clearances for exceptional go-anywhere-and-get-shouted-at capability. Ground clearance is 210 mm. And the approach, break-over and departure angles are an impressive 36, 24 and 47 degrees respectively. A clever hill-descent-control feature nips on the brakes to slow you down via its ABS software.

PRACTICALITY TO BOOT

Reassuringly, the price sits below R500 000 for the new, more practical and spacious five-door Jimny. Image: Ray Leathern

While we didn’t go wild 4x4ing the 2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX five-door, we can report, just like before, its relatively diminutive size and flat edges make it a doddle to use in urban and extra-urban environs. In that respect, it’s an ideal all-rounded. Similarly, the cabin is very practical and comfortable.

It’s got a retro-meets-modern off-roader look and feel to the cabin, and it is exceptionally well built. There are big, helpful grab handles in front of the passenger seat. The vehicle’s touchscreen infotainment has been updated to a more intuitive and responsive system, which has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring. Chuck in comfy, hard-wearing cloth seats, climate control, auto lights and electric windows and you’ll want for nothing inside the versatile all-terrain vehicle.

THE VERDICT

The compact off-roader’s appeal will only grow in South Africa with the introduction of the five-door. Image: Ray Leathern

There’s no denying that at R427 900, the 2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX five-door is a superb vehicle. It’s mobile utility in all its simplified glory and there is something wonderfully refreshing about how it goes about its business – with refreshing flair but little fuss. Now, in five-door guise, thanks to the added wheelbase, rear passenger space and stowage capacity, it’s terrifically practical, too. Those who want one for its diminutive nature won’t mind the utilitarian feel of the drivetrain. Alternatively, those who respect its off-road capabilities won’t mind that it is underestimated at every turn.

THE FIGURES

Best for: Brings to light the very best of Japanese miniaturisation and simplification culture.

Not so sure: Engine is a little buzzy at motorway speeds.

2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX manual five-door

Engine: 1 482 cc, 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 75 kW @ 6 000 rpm, 130 Nm @ 4 000 rpm

Performance: 0-100 km/h n/a

Gearbox: 5-speed manual + low-range transfer case

Tyres: 195/80 R15 Bridgestone Dueller

Economy: 6.3 l/100 km (claimed), 6.9 l/100 km (tested)

Price: R427 900

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